


February Words #24: Lend

by StaringAtTheTwinSuns



Series: February Words (2018) [23]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Battle of Yavin, Ceremony, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Good Parent Han Solo, Good Parent Luke Skywalker, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 09:16:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13784424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StaringAtTheTwinSuns/pseuds/StaringAtTheTwinSuns
Summary: It's the tenth anniversary of the Battle of Yavin, and Han can't find his medal. Fortunately, five-year-old Ben knows just where to find it. ;)(Part of my February prompt series; however, you do not need to read any of the others to understand and enjoy this one)





	February Words #24: Lend

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to reader brotherskywalker for brainstorming this one with me!

~10 ABY~

“Han!” Leia’s voice rang out through the  _ Falcon _ . “We’re going to be late!”

“Just a second!” Han called back, and dug even more furiously into the pile of junk he’d—mostly, he thought, although some of it looked even older—accumulated during the war. There was no way he could tell her what he was looking for, or why he was about to make them all late for what even Han had to admit was a pretty important occasion.

There were footsteps on the landing ramp—too heavy, thank whatever you had to thank, to be Leia’s.

“Watch your head!” Luke said, and Han ducked, without thinking. But then Luke, with Ben on his shoulders, walked into the storage area, and Han couldn’t help but give them a smile.

“How’s my two favorite hotshots?” He swung Ben down, kissed him on the cheek, and then let his lips linger on Luke’s a little longer. “This still fits, huh?” He touched the hem of Luke’s yellow jacket. “At least the Jedi life hasn’t made you too soft.”

“Very funny.” Luke took Ben’s hand and looked down at him with an expression that radiated pride. “We’re on a mission. Aren’t we, Ben?”

Ben nodded. “A mission from Mom.”

“We're going to be late, Han. What are you looking for?”

“It’s… it’s nothing.” Han shrugged, even though he knew Luke didn’t need the Force to see straight through it. “I’m just, ah… looking for my, uh… medal,” he muttered.

“Your medal from  _ Yavin _ ?” Luke’s voice was about a hundred times louder than Han’s had been, and Han clamped a hand over Luke's mouth and scowled.

“Yes,” he hissed. “My medal from Yavin. Leia’s gonna kill me if she finds out I didn’t… I don’t know. Lock it up in a safe or something like you.”

Han knew it was lucky Luke’s hadn’t been lost, when he’d had to leave his X-wing on Bespin. But if it hadn’t been in safekeepingwith the Alliance, then, at least Luke would have had an excuse. Han had just crawled back to the  _ Falcon  _ after the ceremony and tossed his somewhere, and forgotten.

“It’s not like I thought I’d still be around for this tenth anniversary whatever.”

“All right, all right,” Luke said. “But we’ve got to find it. Ben, you ready to help us look?”

Ben nodded. “Yeah!”

“Okay.” Luke knelt and let Ben crawl up on his lap, and they leaned their heads together like it was some kind of conspiracy. “Remember that big medal I had this morning?”

“I think so.”

“Okay. Well your Dad Han had one exactly like it. It’s gold, and it’s about this big.” He made a circle with his hands.

Ben bit his lip, like he was trying to imagine. “I think I saw it.”

“You did?” Han didn’t really believe it. If he hadn’t seen the damn medal since before the kid was born, he was probably just thinking about Luke’s. Maybe they could come up with some kind of plan where they never had to be seen together. Luke could come out, give a speech, then slip his medal under the table to Han.

“Yep,” Ben said. “I’m gonna go get it.” And he wriggled out of Luke’s arms and ran back off toward the house.

Han raised his eyebrows. “Have you ever seen my medal in that house?”

Luke was obviously trying not to laugh. “Han, I haven’t seen your medal since Yavin.”

“You think they’ll notice?” Han puffed out his chest, showing off all the other military pins and bars he’d managed to dig up. “I’ve got a lot of these, you know. They might not?”

Luke just shook his head, and smiled, and started digging through all the junk.

“Han! Luke!” Leia’s boots rang out on the platform. “Thank the Force you’re even dressed! We have to go.”

“Give us just a few more minutes,” Luke said, and Han mouthed  _ No! _ “Han seems to have lost his medal.”

Leia closed her eyes and exhaled. “I know,” she said. “But luckily, his  _ five year old son _ has a better head on his shoulders.” She gave Han a  _ look _ that could have roasted anyone else to a crisp. “Ben’s got your medal on the shuttle,” she said. “Now come on. You’re the guests of honor. We can’t be late.”

***

“See, Daddy?” Ben said. “I found it.”

The Republic shuttle had just made the jump to hyperspace, and Leia finally looked, if not quite calm, at least no more stressed out than always.

“Thanks, kid.” Han took the little leather pouch that had held tools, he thought, once upon a time, and now definitely held something round and metal. “Next time you wanna play with stuff you find on the  _ Falcon _ , you ask me or Uncle Chewie, okay?”

“Okay.” Ben said, and ran off back into the shuttle, flanked by the Republic officers who’d been assigned to keep him out of trouble during this shindig.

“Well, looks like everything worked out just fine,” Han said, and winked at Luke.

Leia rolled her eyes. “Thanks to a five-year-old.”

Luke grinned. “I guess we’re just lucky he he doesn’t take after his Dad Han.”

***

“You both look perfect,” Leia whispered, outside the balcony doors. In just a moment, Luke and Han would give their speeches before the waiting crowds of Coruscant, to commemorate their victory ten years ago.

“Do the honors?” Luke handed her his medal, and lowered his head so she could award it to him once again.

“Han?” Leia held out her hand for the pouch, but when she opened it, her smile faded.

Luke, on the other hand, grinned even wider. “Han?” he asked. “You… didn’t actually look at what was inside, did you?”

“Hey, I trust my kid,” Han said. But he was starting to get the sinking feeling that he shouldn’t have.

“Congratulations.” Luke took the medal out of the pouch and held it up for the world—or at least the room—to see. He reached up, and looped the ribbon around Han’s neck. “I hereby pronounce you ‘Galaxy’s Best Dad’.”

That's what the medal said--scribbled on a bit of scrap metal, in the handwriting of four-year-old Ben.

Leia looked from Han to Luke, trying hard to scowl but laughing anyway. “Didn’t he give that to you?” she asked Luke.

“He did.” Luke nodded, and fixed Han with a perfectly deadpan, serious gaze. “But in recognition of your outstanding parenting abilities? I will lend it to you,” he said. “Just for today.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! As always, any feedback including concrit is appreciated!


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